Nine values viewers’ ability to catch-up on programs

Nine Entertainment Co
believes catch-up television will play a vital role in the future of its business in conjunction with free-to-air telecasts and ­subscription video-on-demand.

Catch-up TV refers to content that is streamed online after it is aired on free-to-air channels or other broadcasts.

Nine’s separate, subscription video-on-demand service will cost $10 a month. Launching in the second half of 2014, it will offer a combination of Nine shows and overseas content. Nine has a supply agreement with United States-based Warner Bros Entertainment.

Its existing catch-up service, Jump-in, has generated 670,000 application downloads and 5.7 million unique browser visits since it was launched in November. Video consumption on Jump-in has grown 150 per cent, compared with the prior service catch-up, ninemsn.com, while revenue has doubled. Jump-in allows viewers to interact with programs via social media including Twitter and Facebook. Rivals
Seven West Media
and
Ten Network Holdings
have separate catch-up and social media services.

“There has been a big debate between catch-up on the one hand and social TV on the other and we have had a different strategy to bring it all together," said Mark Britt, chief ­executive of Nine’s digital arm, Mi9. “We passionately believe that the future of TV will be to bring those things together and deeply integrate social engagement with live viewing and catch-up experiences in the one place."

Nine plans to boost the amount of free-to-air content it screens online, after launching the drama Love Child on Jump-in. The media and events company offered 10,000 viewers the ability to stream the first four episodes of Love Child before it launched on free-to-air television. The limit on streaming was reached within six hours and then lifted to 20,000 viewers, which was exhausted the following day.

“What we created with Love Child was consumer advocacy before it even went to air," Mr Britt said.

“The core trend of using online before the free-to-air experience, the SVOD opportunity to get the entire series, and then the catch-up experience is something I think you’ll see very consistently from us over the next few years," he said. “It’s about that use of a great brand like Love Child through all those different formats, giving people the chance to connect with the show whenever and however they want to."